Heh, yep, Aribeth de Tylmarande and Nasher Alagondar. The story wasn't terrible, but the comparison was to Baldur's Gate and it just didn't live up to that.
What's The Most Important Features of RPGs?
- Thread starter Couchpotato
- Start date
Heh, yep, Aribeth de Tylmarande and Nasher Alagondar. The story wasn't terrible, but the comparison was to Baldur's Gate and it just didn't live up to that.
BillSeurer
Eternal Supreme Dictator
None of these things stand on their own. Without a blend of at least 3 or 4 good ones no cRPG is going to be worth the time to play it.
Carnifex
SasqWatch
For me, in order, it was Story, choice and consequences, character creation, combat system, and exploration. Graphics matter little to me, and I only listen to games if forced to ( when games have music like Lacuna Coil and Cradle of Filth in them, I'll reconsider). Controls and UI are also important to me but really not enough to rank.
Can´t say I have a clear preference, what´s most important to me is that interactive features a game devotes majority of playtime to are fun to engage with on a minute to minute basis.
Among some other things, this means
a) I don´t care much about how good stuff is "on paper", it´s how it´s utilized in practice what counts - combat system doesn´t mean much without encounter design, story doesn´t mean much without allowing for ways to interact with it, character system doesn´t mean much without appropriate opportunities to apply it on, etc.
b) weak features don´t phase me much if they consume proportionately low amount of playtime and a game makes up for them elsewhere
c) setting and art direction are always important to me due to their omnipresence during a playthrough, but they´re not that important due to their non-interactive nature
Well, if there´s one feature that I´d name as the most important one, for me it would be reactivity, meaning the ability to change course of a game based on how I defined and/or express my character(s).
On a very general level, this mostly means allocation of stats opening new play styles/ ways to overcome combat and other non-narrative obstacles, or ways to alter narratives via dialogue choices or other actions.
Meaningful reactivity for me means it simply leads to fun results, the changes don´t have to be big all the time.
I guess another way to characterize this might be depth of interactivity, including that between different game systems.
Therefore I went with choices & consequences, with the above take on the feature in mind, though I also agree with this:
Among some other things, this means
a) I don´t care much about how good stuff is "on paper", it´s how it´s utilized in practice what counts - combat system doesn´t mean much without encounter design, story doesn´t mean much without allowing for ways to interact with it, character system doesn´t mean much without appropriate opportunities to apply it on, etc.
b) weak features don´t phase me much if they consume proportionately low amount of playtime and a game makes up for them elsewhere
c) setting and art direction are always important to me due to their omnipresence during a playthrough, but they´re not that important due to their non-interactive nature
Well, if there´s one feature that I´d name as the most important one, for me it would be reactivity, meaning the ability to change course of a game based on how I defined and/or express my character(s).
On a very general level, this mostly means allocation of stats opening new play styles/ ways to overcome combat and other non-narrative obstacles, or ways to alter narratives via dialogue choices or other actions.
Meaningful reactivity for me means it simply leads to fun results, the changes don´t have to be big all the time
.I guess another way to characterize this might be depth of interactivity, including that between different game systems.
Therefore I went with choices & consequences, with the above take on the feature in mind, though I also agree with this:
T
Toff
Guest
I did just one option also ... but Story got my vote as its easily my most important feature.
I can always add your other picks for you just let me know what they are.
I can always add your other picks for you just let me know what they are.
Would you do it for me too, Couch?
Would you add Graphics and Music, Game Controls/UI, Setting/Lore, and Combat System?
(my original choice was Character Creation/Customization)
Last edited:
No problem I added them to the poll.
Notorious
Watchdog
For me it is
1. Character creation & customistion
2. Game controls & UI
3. Exploration
4. Comabt system
5. Choices & consequences
Great stories are rare, a la Fallout 1, so that doesn't get a vote. The main thing is to enjoy the experience of being in the world and building up your character as you "save the world". Often the start when you are very weak and have to survive is the best - after that you power through so it's less tense.
1. Character creation & customistion
2. Game controls & UI
3. Exploration
4. Comabt system
5. Choices & consequences
Great stories are rare, a la Fallout 1, so that doesn't get a vote. The main thing is to enjoy the experience of being in the world and building up your character as you "save the world". Often the start when you are very weak and have to survive is the best - after that you power through so it's less tense.
CelticFrost
SasqWatch
- Joined
- April 2, 2011
- Messages
- 3,381
I voted for as long as it isn't something new from BioWare .
.- Joined
- Apr 2, 2011
- Messages
- 3,381
Zloth
I smell a... wumpus!?
Arg. Every time I try to pick something, I remember a good RPG that was fun despite not having a good handle on that something.
Story: I liked The Last Remnant a lot despite the story being meh.
C & C: Many JRPGs are fun despite having almost none of this.
Itemization: City of Heroes - lots of fun, almost no loot (especially early on).
Character Creation: The Witcher and most JRPGs hand you a character.
UI: FF7 is a terrible pain to use with keyboard but the story and combat made it great.
Exploration: The term doesn't even make sense for a game like Blackguards.
Graphics & Music: The Colossal Cave, Eamon Adventures, various Rogue clones…
Combat: I've never been impressed with the combat in any Elder Scrolls game.
Length: Maybe length per dollar but that makes for a great deal, not a great RPG
Setting & Lore: I pretty much ignored the lore in Baldur's Gate but it was great stuff.
Maybe it's more about excelling at a few things rather than getting everything right.
Story: I liked The Last Remnant a lot despite the story being meh.
C & C: Many JRPGs are fun despite having almost none of this.
Itemization: City of Heroes - lots of fun, almost no loot (especially early on).
Character Creation: The Witcher and most JRPGs hand you a character.
UI: FF7 is a terrible pain to use with keyboard but the story and combat made it great.
Exploration: The term doesn't even make sense for a game like Blackguards.
Graphics & Music: The Colossal Cave, Eamon Adventures, various Rogue clones…
Combat: I've never been impressed with the combat in any Elder Scrolls game.
Length: Maybe length per dollar but that makes for a great deal, not a great RPG
Setting & Lore: I pretty much ignored the lore in Baldur's Gate but it was great stuff.
Maybe it's more about excelling at a few things rather than getting everything right.
P
purpleblob
Guest
@Couch: can you please also add my other preferences? (I've only voted for story, please see below )
)Crap, I pressed vote now too quickly and thus only voted for story
To be honest I value NPC interactions the most in RPGs but that's not available in this poll.
I value following the most in RPGs, but not really in specific order:
Story, character creation & customisation, choices and consequences, game controls/UI and and setting & lore. I also value itemisation and graphic & music but not as much as other 5.
No Problem purpleblob your votes are now added.@Couch: can you please also add my other preferences? (I've only voted for story, please see below
fatknacker50
Sentinel
I can always add your other picks for you just let me know what they are.
Cheers Couch, would you mind adding:
Story, Choice & Consequences, Exploration, Combat, Graphics & Music.
lackblogger
SasqWatch
- Joined
- November 1, 2014
- Messages
- 4,778
I just voted combat.
All of the options are good but combat is the only option I can give you for a poll such as this. Because combat is the only option you provide which really offers a fail state. I know fail states are out of fashion at the moment but I firmly believe a game requires a fail state in order to be initially qualified as a game in the first place.
Yes, enjoying an enjoyable experience is enjoyable but I don't believe that an experience is a qualifier for a game, it's a qualifier for an experience.
There are other fail state options such as puzzles and the like, but these aren't options in the poll. It's quite possible for dialogue and c&c to offer fail states but they are extremely rare in modern experience based video entertainment.
Of course I repeat that everything on the list is cool and desired but in terms of playing games if you want the correct definition then you have to pinpoint the fail states.
My2c
All of the options are good but combat is the only option I can give you for a poll such as this. Because combat is the only option you provide which really offers a fail state. I know fail states are out of fashion at the moment but I firmly believe a game requires a fail state in order to be initially qualified as a game in the first place.
Yes, enjoying an enjoyable experience is enjoyable but I don't believe that an experience is a qualifier for a game, it's a qualifier for an experience.
There are other fail state options such as puzzles and the like, but these aren't options in the poll. It's quite possible for dialogue and c&c to offer fail states but they are extremely rare in modern experience based video entertainment.
Of course I repeat that everything on the list is cool and desired but in terms of playing games if you want the correct definition then you have to pinpoint the fail states.
My2c
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2014
- Messages
- 4,778